15 Days of Favourite “Kid” things – Part 15

Day 15:

My favourite “kid” thing? My kiddos. Awwwwww
I used to think that kids were short, sticky things that said a lot of weird stuff.
They were perplexing and mysterious creatures. 

But now IMGP4359they’re MY short, sticky little weirdos and I love them SO MUCH. ♥
My love for them is followed closely by….parks! (Naturally)

DSC01678Since starting this site in July of 2014, we’ve visited over 500 parks, playgrounds, and splash pads (what? yoiks!). We’ve visited parts of the city we’ve never gone to, found new favourite spots, and have seen great and not so great parks and playgrounds. The 8-year old is a serious playground visitor and will stand there and analyze with me (“why are there no baby swings??”), and then go bounding off to test things out. The just-turned 4 year old still says “OH! A PAWK!” Every single time we pull up to one. LOVE his enthusiasm; it’s contagious. We’ve seen impressive new play structures, gone flying down ziplines, and have played on old wooden climbers that I remember from my childhood.
The boys have bonded, and we’ve made so many memories that I know it’s a time I’ll always remember (and I hope they will too). 

I recently read an article on Scary Mommy (which I love btw) and it made me feel:
1. Surprised
and 2. Sad
The article was called “10 Times I Hate Being at the Playground With My Kid“. I thought, no way, everyone’s going to jump to the defence of playgrounds right? They’re awesome and free, and you can chill with your kid. 
Um…no. It seems like everyone commenting hated the playground. 

It isn’t a parent’s job to endlessly entertain children. Children are supposed to learn to entertain themselves. I’m not saying never play with your kids, but not at the playground…

Ugh, pushing a child on a swing: the most tedious activity imaginable.

She should be on a bench watching, and the kids should be playing. If there’s an argument, and the kids don’t solve it, a parent should come help them solve the problem. That should be the whole extent of her involvement.

Do all 2-year olds need to be independent? Should I not be speaking to my children when we go to the playground?? “Go swing by yourself. I’m supposed to sit on the bench!” Um….I think not. Yes, sometimes I’m tired, sometimes I don’t feel like pushing the swing for 30 continuous minutes, sometimes I don’t fit through the tunnels (!), but it’s OUR time together. 

Little Tikes and Game Time have recently come out with their Generation Swing and Expression Swing. Amazing right? Well, the comments from people were that children should be independent enough to swing on their own, and that parents need to stop being “helicopter parents”. But…..it’s for infant and toddlers. Anyhoo, we’ll continue to enjoy all the new advancements and innovations coming out in playground equipment. 

So really? Do people not like playIMGP5739grounds? Or just not like playing at them? Obviously we LOVE parks, and playgrounds, and beaches, and splash pads, and nature parks. These past two summers have been my two favourite summers EVER and I’m happy I get to share all these experiences with my little monsters, and with all of you! And we’ll continue “parking” and exploring until it’s no longer fun.

I’m going to post this commercial from Little Tikes, I thought it was one of the best things I watched all year. Hope you enjoy it too 🙂

 

2 Comments

  • Courtney says:

    That article is so sad. Obviously, we love playgrounds and parks too, but a big part of it is the time we spend together. Such an easy and fun way to hang out, relax, and get some fresh air and exercise. We’ve even just gone to the park to sit together on a bench and read a book!

  • StrollerMom says:

    The article I kind of “got”, but the FB comments were brutal! I felt like this weirdo for wanting to stand up and say “Hey! Parks are great!”
    And I did. And my comment got deleted!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.